Device for conveying flat objects with a routing system

ABSTRACT

The deice for conveying flat objects edge-on in series at high speed between an entry (A) and an exit (B) of a conveying path comprises a routing system for diverting some of these flat objects towards another exit (B′) between the entry and the exit of the conveying path. This system comprises two mobile flaps ( 3, 4 ) kept mutually parallel and arranged between the entry and the exit of the conveying path, and two motorized endless belts ( 1, 2 ) moving between these two flaps and between which the flat objects conveyed are gripped, these two flaps being mounted so that they can pivot so as to route the flat objects either towards the exit (B) of the conveying path or towards the other exit (B′). A stationary post ( 6 ) is located at the point where the flat objects are routed downstream of the mobile flaps between the entry and the exit of the conveying path. The exit (B) of the conveying path is distant from the stationary post ( 6 ), and one ( 1 ) of the motorized endless belts extends beyond the stationary post as far as the exit of the conveying path, and this makes it possible to ensure the continuity of the conveying of the envelopes exiting the routing system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device conveying flat objects edge-on inseries at high speed between an entry and an exit of a conveying pathwith a routing system for diverting some of these flat objects towardsanother exit between the entry and the exit of the conveying path, thissystem comprising two mobile flaps kept mutually parallel and arrangedbetween the entry and the exit of the conveying path, and two motorizedendless belts moving between these two flaps and between which the flatobjects conveyed are gripped, these two flaps being mounted so that theycan pivot so as to route the flat objects either towards the exit of theconveying path or towards the other exit.

A device of this kind is more particularly intended for a machine forautomatically processing mail in which it is necessary to extract fromthe main stream of envelopes conveyed between the destacking unit andthe sorting unit of the machine, certain envelopes which are to berejected before they arrive at the sorting unit, without disrupting themain stream. Machines for processing mail have to be designed to be ableto take a broad range of postal items. More specifically, they have tobe designed to be able to take flat rectangular envelopes, the thicknessof which varies between 0.15 and 32 millimeters while the length andwidth of these envelopes can vary respectively between 14 and 40centimeters and between 9 and 30 centimeters.

It is customary for the envelopes for rejection to be diverted using asystem comprising two mobile parallel flaps around which the two drivebelts are looped. In consequence, in this arrangement, the two belts donot accompany the envelopes all the way to the exit of the conveyingdevice which exit is distant from the two flaps. This break in theconveying device leads to variations in the spacing between consecutiveenvelopes along the conveying path because of the fact that the twobelts let go of the envelopes and these variations in spacing complicatethe processing operations performed at the exit of the conveying device.

It is also customary for the envelopes for rejection to be diverted, notusing a two-flap system, but using a mobile post. This system is not,however, suited to a broad range of postal envelopes with highly varyingthicknesses as mentioned hereinabove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a device for conveying flatobjects of varying thickness edge-on and in series at high speed using atwo-flap system, allowing some of these objects to be diverted fromtheir conveying path without disrupting the main stream of flat objects.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a conveying device asdefined hereinabove, wherein: a stationary post is located at the pointwhere the flat objects are routed downstream of the mobile flaps betweenthe entry and the exit of the conveying path; the exit of the conveyingpath is distant from the stationary post; and one of the motorizedendless belts extends beyond the stationary post as far as the exit ofthe conveying path. Using this arrangement, it will be understood thatjust one of the two motorized endless belts is looped around a flap toallow the flat objects to be routed on both sides of the post. Becausethe other motorized endless belt extends beyond the post as far as theexit of the conveying path, the continuity of the conveying of the flatobjects is maintained beyond the routing point, and this plays a part inmaintaining the spacing between consecutive flat objects. When the flapsare oriented to divert a flat object towards the other exit, this beltis deformed by one of the flaps against the stationary post and thismeans that the diverted flat object is still gripped between the twobelts as far as the routing point.

According to one particular embodiment of the device according to theinvention, the two motorized endless belts are gripped together by apair of elastically deformable elastomer wheels with stationary rotationspindles arranged on each side of the two mobile flaps. This arrangementis far simpler than an arrangement with pulleys mounted on pivoting armsreturned by springs which press the two belts together between the twoflaps. In addition, such wheels are better able to absorb the variationsin thickness of the flat objects and are better able to accompany thediversion of the flat objects.

According to another particular feature of the device according to theinvention, the elastically deformable elastomer wheels each comprise ahub mounted to rotate on a stationary spindle and an annular tread stripin contact with one belt, the hub and the annular tread strip of eachwheel being connected by elastically deformable circular-arc-shapedfins, the two ends of each fin, which are for connection to the hub andto the annular tread strip of the wheel, lying on a radius of the wheel.With an arrangement such as this, each wheel can absorb great variationsin thickness of the flat objects without fatigue, returning to itsnormal position very quickly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The device according to the invention is described in greater detailhereinbelow and is illustrated in the figures.

FIG. 1 very diagrammatically shows the device according to theinvention, in perspective.

FIG. 2 is a very diagrammatic view from above of the device according tothe invention shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used for conveying postalenvelopes of varying thickness edge-on and in series at high speedbetween an entry A of a main conveying path and an exit B of thisconveying path.

This system can be inserted between an upstream destacking unit and adownstream sorting unit of a machine for processing mail.

The envelopes are gripped between two motorized endless belts 1 and 2which pass between two mobile flaps 3 and 4 kept mutually parallel andarranged between the entry A and the exit B of the conveying path. Thetwo flaps 3 and 4 are used to divert some of the envelopes introducedinto the entry A towards another exit B′.

These two flaps are mounted to pivot at their fixed end closest to theentry A, on a spindle 3A, 4A fixed respectively to the support soleplate 5. The other end of the two flaps closest to the exit B movesangularly at right angles to the conveying path past a routing point atwhich a stationary post 6 is arranged.

The stationary post 6 arranged downstream of the two mobile flaps 3 and4 along the conveying path is also used to route the envelopes towardsthe exit B or the exit B′ according to the orientation of the flaps.

As visible in the figures, each flap 3 or 4 has the shape of arectangular plate arranged vertically on edge along its longest edgewhich is appreciably longer than the longest length of the envelopesbeing conveyed. The two flaps are separated from one another in adirection perpendicular to the conveying path by a distance which isslightly greater than the greatest thickness of the envelopes beingconveyed. The mobile end of each flap carries a pulley 3B, 4B in contactwith a respective endless belt 1 and 2 and the two mobile ends of theflaps are secured by a link rod 13 which is moved at right angles to theconveying path to cause the flaps to pivot jointly, so as to route theenvelopes towards the exit B or the exit B′.

Two elastically deformable elastomer wheels 7 and 8 are arranged facingeach other on each side of the two flaps 3 and 4. As can be seen in thefigures, each flap 3 or 4 has a longitudinal slot through which arespective wheel 7 or 8 penetrates (as visible in FIG. 2) so that thetwo wheels 7 and 8 press the two belts 1 and 2 together between the twoflaps.

The exit B of the conveying path is designed to be distant from thestationary post 6 and it can be seen from the figures that the belt 1engaged over the wheel 7 and the pulley 3B extends beyond the stationaryand this ensures that the envelope is conveyed correctly as far as theexit B′. Thus, the flat objects are routed towards one of the exits B orB′ by a deformation of the belts between which the flat objects aregripped under the action of the pulleys 3B, 4B mounted at the mobile endof the flaps 3 and 4.

Furthermore, a fixed endless motorized backing belt 10 is moved betweenthe stationary post 6 and the exit B of the conveying path facing thebelt 1. This fixed backing belt may, for example, press against abaseplate 12 in the form of a channel section which is mounteddownstream of the routing system. When the flaps 3 and 4 are alignedwith the main conveying path, the envelopes leaving the flaps 3 and 4are gripped between the belt 1 and the belt 10, the belt 1 stillensuring continuity of the conveying of the envelope as far as the exitB without releasing it. Downstream of the exit B from the conveyingpath, it is the belt 10 which can still ensure the continuity of theconveying of the envelope. The belt 1 is pressed against the fixedbacking belt 10 by another elastically deformable elastomer wheel 11with a stationary spindle. The wheels 7, 8 and 11 here are identical intheir structure but the wheels 7 and 8 may have a different hardness tothe wheel 11 in terms of deformation.

Each elastically deformable elastomer wheel, for example the wheel 8,has a hub made of elastomer such as 8B mounted to rotate freely on thespindle of the wheel, in this instance the spindle 8A, and an annulartread strip made of elastomer such as 8C in contact with a belt, in thisinstance the belt 2. The hub 8B and the annular tread strip 8C of thewheel 8 are connected by elastically deformable circular-arc-shapedelastomer fins 8D. The ends of each fin, which ends are for connectionto the hub and to the annular tread strip of the wheel, lie on a radiusof the wheel, and this allows the wheel to be compressed radially overthe entire length of the fins. In the conveying device illustrated inthe figures, the wheels 7, 8 and 11 may have a diameter of about 25centimeters and a thickness of the order of 5 centimeters.

FIG. 2 shows that the two wheels 7 and 8 are compressed radially oneagainst the other to grip a thick envelope P1, while the undeformedwheel 11 presses the belt 1 against the belt 10 between two consecutiveenvelopes P1 and P2. The ease with which the wheels 7 and 8 can becompressed elastically against each other increases the area of contactof the belts 1 and 2 with the envelope P1 passing between the flaps 3and 4 and this plays a part in improving the conveying of the envelopein this transit region and in keeping the spacing between consecutiveenvelopes constant.

We claim:
 1. A device for conveying flat objects edge-on in series athigh speed between an entry (A) and an exit (B) of a conveying path witha routing system for diverting some of these flat objects towardsanother exit (B′) between the entry and the exit of the conveying path,this system comprising two mobile flaps (3, 4) kept mutually paralleland arranged between the entry and the exit of the conveying path, andtwo motorized endless belts (1, 2) moving between these two flaps andbetween which the flat objects conveyed are gripped, these two flapsbeing mounted so that they can pivot so as to route the flat objectseither towards the exit (B) of the conveying path or towards the otherexit (B′), wherein: a stationary post (6) is located at the point wherethe flat objects are routed downstream of the mobile flaps between theentry and the exit of the conveying path; the exit (B) of the conveyingpath is distant from the stationary post (6); and one (1) of themotorized endless belts extends beyond the stationary post as far as theexit of the conveying path.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, inwhich the two motorized endless belts are pressed together by a pair ofelastically deformable elastomer wheels (7, 8) with stationary rotationspindles arranged on each side of the two mobile flaps.
 3. The device asclaimed in claim 2, in which the elastically deformable elastomer wheelseach comprise a hub (8B) mounted to rotate on a stationary spindle (8A)and an annular tread strip (8C) in contact with one belt, the hub andthe annular tread strip of each wheel being connected by elasticallydeformable circular-arc-shaped fins (8C), the two ends of each fin,which are for connection to the hub and to the annular tread strip ofthe wheel, lying on a radius of the wheel.